POWERBRRRD “Bottle Rocket” music video
June 28, 2010
We’ve been sitting on this one for several days now, but the time is finally here. I apologize for all the shameless self-promotion as of late, but fuck it. Here it is, the feel-good hit of the summer in two-thousand WIN, Bottle Rocket by Powerbrrrd. It’s available in full 1080p HD if you click on through to the youtube page.
Good job, Powerbrrrd.
TNTRC showcase Saturday at USN
June 25, 2010
So I did a little guest post over at Nashville Cream regarding my experience this week at the Tennessee Teens Rock & Roll Camp at USN. Check it out. That will suffice as my Friday post this week. Please do come to the showcase and support this amazing cause.
Burgers Summer 2010 Mixxxx
June 21, 2010
It’s here, it’s hotttt. The official Burgers Summer 2010 Mixxxx. I’ve started using soundcloud, so just use the widget below to listen and/or download! (If the widget isn’t working click here to go to the soundcloud page.)
Summer2010Mixxxx by IamBurgers
Here’s the tracklisting:
Kamei-Computer Malfunction
Uffie Ft. Pharrel-ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden RMX)
Aston Shuffle-Don’t Wanna See You (DCUP RMX)
Treasure Fingers-What Am I Supposed To Do
Florrie-Panic Attack (Bit Funk RMX)
Ocelot-Beating Hearts (Blende Extended Mix)
Light Year-Motor Booty
Donna Summer-Bad Girls (Sonicc RMX)
Hazel & Entyce-In Da Club (Fukkk Offf RMX)
Bag Raiders Ft. Donnis-All The Girls
Holy Ghost!-Say My Name (U Tern RMX)
Hussle Club-Loose Tights (HS or Beat RMX)
New Burgers and Powerbrrrd material/weekend stuff
June 18, 2010
Just a couple of quick self-promotional updates…
I’ve got some new material coming down the pipe from my DJ/Electronic music project Burgers. I just completed the “Burgers Summer 2010 Mixxxx” and it will hit this blog and everywhere else this coming sunday. I’ll dedicate a post to that sunday or monday. I’m also working on the first official Burgers remix. It’s the Armed Forces track “Vultures (You Never Shut Up),” and it’s really fun, but also a pain in the ass, as I haven’t used any electronic music software in a few years and I’m almost having to learn it all over again. I have no idea when I’ll be done with that, but hopefully sometime this summer…
My band Powerbrrrd has been working on some new recordings, and those should be release in one format or another sometime this summer. We’re also making a music video this weekend, which will end up on this blog sometime next week no doubt. We also have a show tomorrow night at Springwater… (more on that below).
Be sure to head over to Nashville Nights and check out part 1 of Joseph’s Bonnaroo review. Pretty good stuff if you ask me, and I’m looking forward to the rest.
Speaking of Bonnaroo, check out this Fader video interview with Chromeo: (Via Fool’s Gold)
Now for the weekend stuff:
Tonight there’s a pretty bizarre/interesting show happening at the End: Most Amazing Century of Science/Lazer Slut/Brown Swarm/Meth Dad/Cunningham. I have a feeling 4/4 time signatures will be hard to come by at this one…
Saturday the obvious choice is of course, Powerbrrrd, Look What I Did, Thelma & the Sleaze, and The Grayces @ Springwater. But if you’re totally crazy, you could also check out “The Queen is Risen: A Tribute to The Smiths feat. Mother/Father, Nite Nite, The Armed Forces & more at Mercy Lounge,” or De Novo Dahl, Majestico, Fly Golden Eagle, and The Mattoid @ Exit/In. That last one is a benefit for the return of the Bat Poet. More on that via Sean Maloney’s Critic’s Pick in the Scene.
That’s all I have time for right now. Have a great weekend!
Some good new releases/Bonnaroo quick recap
June 15, 2010
I thought I was going crazy for a while, but then A-Trak posted this blog last Thursday confirming that I’m not crazy. His project with Armand Van Helden Duck Sauce released their first single “aNYway” a few months ago basically everywhere but the US. A 128 kb version was relatively easy to find on some blogs, but the full-quality official version wasn’t available in the US… until now. Trizzy acknowledges this travesty in his comments, but I sincerely hope this doesn’t happen for future releases. Go grab this amazing track on beatport now!
The vinyl version of Uncle Skeleton’s new full-length Warm Under the Covers is now officially available via YK records. Go grab it at the Uncle Skeleton bandcamp, or just get the digital version for however much you want to pay. (Via Yewknee)
So as you well know from my last post, I went to Bonnaroo. I had an artist pass, and even though that grants one a much better experience than a regular patron (access to cleaner showers, a couple of air-conditioned tents, and free booze backstage), it was still FUCKING HOT. Aside from the heat, my mind was blown by two performances in particular: Daryl Hall + Chromeo and LCD Soundsystem.
Daryl Hall and Chromeo are the perfect match of old and new stylistically. Daryl Hall had a huge fan blowing his snowy mane into an utterly God-like immensity, P-Thugg’s vocoder leads were spot-on, and the overall silky smoothness of the affair was beyond words. I was there with Drew Mischke from Mercy Lounge and Jon Burr of How I Became the Bomb (and a few others), and if you know anything about either of those individuals, you can imagine how giddy they both were at this spectacle. It was kind of endearing.
LCD Soundsystem was about an hour after the above show, and having not seen them before, a 2:30am set complete with the largest and brightest disco ball I’ve ever seen was enough to blow my mind yet again. I watched most of the set from sidestage, but the sound was good enough that I could sense how awesomely tight James Murphy’s backing band is. I was literally running on fumes by that point, but the energy of their performance kept me going right till the end.
I also learned more than I ever wanted to know about bros and the phenomenon of getting ICED and/or ICING someone else.
That’s really all I have to say, and if you haven’t checked out the numerous blog posts (most of which are a bit belated thanks to the press wi-fi meltdown that occurred) from the Nashville Cream, please do so for further, more in-depth coverage and some great photos by Lance Conzett and Eric England.
Bonnaroo weather/CMA bingo/no more posts this week
June 9, 2010
*This will be my last post this week, and today will be my last day of web presence until after Bonnaroo.*
As I’ve said before, I’m going to Bonnaroo this year. I’m not going the way I’ve gone the past 2 years, however, as the Scene/SouthComm is sending their staff photographers to cover it this year, obviously the result of a rough economy/tight budget. (They are full-time staff photographers, so in the end SouthComm isn’t having to pay them anymore than they would have already, whereas my work would be an extra expense to them since I’m freelance.) Let me say that I’m in no way irked at them for doing this, as they have to do what makes financial sense in these times especially, and if I were in their shoes, I’d probably do the same. Since they weren’t sending me, I had to work a little harder to acquire a pass, but I did. So, don’t expect any photos from me this year, as I won’t be able to get into the photo pits, and honestly don’t want to have to lug the expensive/heavy equipment around and keep up with it unless I have to. My only real goal is to see LCD Soundsystem, since this is expected to be their last year of live shows, ever.
I’ve heard a lot of ridiculous rumors that there’s going to be a monsoon in Manchester this year. THIS IS BALONEY. The weather forecast looks exactly like every other June forecast in TN has since the beginning of time. It’s going to be hot, humid, and there’s a slight chance (20-30%) of scattered showers and storms in the afternoon. I’d say there will be at least 1 or 2 of those showers/storms that happen across Bonnaroo, but it will by no means equate to a monsoon. The cause of this rumor is probably the fact that most weather apps and “forecast-at-a-glance” sources don’t include the probability of precipitation (PoP). They just show a small icon that has the sun covered partially by a storm cloud, a few rain drops, and a lightning bolt. It still shows that icon, even if the PoP is only 10%. This is a problem in my opinion, because sadly the vast majority of people will probably look at those icons on each day and think that it means it’s going to rain all day, everyday. So if you’re going this year, of course be prepared for rain and mud- it’s going to rain at some point, but it’s not going to rain the whole time. Remember to drink plenty of water and you’ll be fine.
I must also point you to Nashvillest’s 2nd (I think) annual CMA Bingo card. With the “CMApocalypse” quickly approaching, this little bit of local humor/snark is all but necessary to keep your sanity if you’re a Nashvillian who hates this annual gathering of:
AND
Have a great rest of the week/Bonnaroo if you’re going, and I will see you here sometime next week.
Tonight Murfreesboro/Nashville will get a rare musical treat. sElf frontman/genius Matt Mahaffey is in town and will be joining his long-time friend Seth Timbs (of Fluid Ounces and Hot New Singles) on the stage of The Boro Bar & Grill in Murfreesboro. This week is the Boro’s 25th Anniversary celebration, and this is one helluva way to cap it off. From Seth Timbs’ Facebook:
Tomorrow night at the Boro Matt Mahaffey and myself will be performing our songs in a manner befitting the venue and it’s[sic] proud history on it’s[sic] anniversary.
While I’m not as big of a fan of the Boro as I used to be (how can they take a cut of the door money from a band when they don’t even have a PA system or house sound guy?), that place will always hold a special place in my heart as it’s where I was introduced to the local music scene when I first came to MTSU 10 years ago. If a bar/venue can hold its own for 25 years, they must be doing something right. As for Matt, I’ve also confirmed via a few Facebook comments that he’s indeed planning to move back to TN soon (yea yea I know, they’ve been saying that for years, but this time they’re looking at houses!).
Sorry to any other shows happening tonight, but in my eyes seeing Matt and Seth together on the same stage pretty much trumps EVERYTHING.
As for the rest of the weekend, here’s a little rundown:
Saturday night Jesco White “The Dancing Outlaw” invades Mercy Lounge, along with Les Honky More Tonkies and Pick Up The Snake. If that’s not your bag, check out Imogen Heap at the Ryman, or The Alcohol Stuntband at the 5 Spot.
Sunday has a couple of good options as well- Twilight Sad/Mono at the Exit/In, and Shellshag/Pujol/Deluxin’ at the End.
Have a great weekend!
The Comfies Present: Benjamin A. Harper’s Fantôme
June 2, 2010
After a long, liver-abusing Memorial Day weekend, I’m back.
Last year Benjamin A. Harper (not that Ben Harper) of the Comfies released The Comfies Present: Benjamin A. Harper in This Ship Is Going Down. It was the first of a planned 3-EP series, and he’s just released the second of that series, The Comfies Present: Benjamin A. Harper’s Fantôme. As all smart artists do, he’s using Bandcamp to distribute his music, so go grab the new EP there. It’s on the name-your-own-price plan, so it can be free if you want it to be. The EP has a full range of song tempo and mood. From the toe-tapping straightforward power pop of “Shake It Like You Mean It” to the soft instrumental melancholy of “Christmas Eve Eve,” this EP covers a lot of ground in 6 short tracks. Harper is at his best in the higher-energy tracks of the collection, but one that is quickly growing on me is “Chemicals,” which features some very nice string arrangements. Ben actually played almost every instrument on these recordings, which is probably the main reason for the 10-month lag between releases. Or maybe I just had it my head that the releases were all set for a quick-succession release schedule for some reason… either way, I hope the next and final one comes soon!
The official EP release show is July 2nd at the End with Tristen. Be there.
Before I list this weekend’s Nashville show offerings, there are a few newsy-bits that need to be shared:
Caitlin Rose stopped by the Daytrotter studio recently to record a lovely live session. Go grab the mp3’s here… the free ones are an ugly 128 kb/s in quality, but for a measly $4 you can get the high quality version. I still haven’t heard an official release date for her album (which was recently completed), but it should be this coming fall/winter. (Via Yewknee via Hartley)
Some other big news from the Hartley camp- De Novo Dahl’s new album Tigerlion is officially out, and you can get it at their bandcamp for whatever price you wish to pay. They celebrate the release tonight at Mercy Lounge. (More on that below.)
Brooklynvegan is a bit behind on their coverage of Nikkin Darlin’s injury, but I mention the post because they included a pretty cool short documentary video about them that was shot during this year’s SXSW. Check it:
Now for this weekend’s plethora of show offerings…
FRIDAY
As I mentioned above, tonight is the release party for De Novo Dahl’s new album Tigerlion. It’s at Mercy Lounge, they’ve enlisted the help of How Cozy!, Tallest Trees, and Fly Golden Eagle. The show’s proceeds will benefit Ms. Candice Burnside, who you’ll know if you ever frequented Grimey’s New & Preloved Music over the past few years. She’s currently battling breast cancer (which as I understand, she’s all but won).
There’s a pretty kickass house show happening tonight in east Nashville- the Non-Commissioned Officers, Tristen, and the Whole Fantastic World. More info on the facebook event.
I must also mention that tonight is the 2-year birthday of Happy Valley, taking place at the Cannery Ballroom. Jim O’Shea and the staff of Cannery Ballroom have put their heads together to create a light show/atmosphere that will surely blow your mind. DJ’s are Coach, Mindub, Sanchez & the Shockers, Ducko, and Hands off Sam. I also hear that a certain hat wearin’, trash talkin’, Dime managin’, former oil tycoon will be there….
SATURDAY
There’s yet another benefit for Candice Burnside happening on Saturday, this time at the Exit/In, with none other than the Features, Cortney Tidwell, and a re-united (with a slightly different lineup) Hotpipes. There will also be DJs between bands: Sean Maloney (as LWWS LRRRGNT), Curse of the Drinking Class, and yours truly (Burgers). Facebook event here.
The other big show for Saturday is the Moustache May closing party at Mercy Lounge. Michael Eades has put together a great lineup for this one: The Whole New Usuals, Tristen, Shaboi, Roy Ira, and Uncle Skeleton. The big story here is Uncle Skeleton, the (formerly) side project of Ross Wariner of Kindercastle fame. Ross put out his debut album Pancho Chumley last year under the Uncle Skeleton moniker, and now the follow-up Warm Under the Covers will be unofficially released at this show. I say unofficially because Mr. Eades (whose label YK Records is handling the album) said “Sadly, the vinyl version will not be available in time for the release so I’m not making it official official until that time.”
I must also mention now, since it’s Memorial Day weekend, that this coming Monday, May 31st is my next 8 off 8th. It’s actually 7 off 8th, but that’s because it’s the official afterparty of the Rock & Roll Trivia 1-year anniversary, which is happening earlier that night and may run a little later than usual due to the festivities. The lineup is (in no particular order): The Whole Fantastic World, Bad Cop, Powerbrrrd, How Cozy!, Evan P. Donohue, Zut Alors, and Kingston Springs. As always, it’s FREE and is 21+. They also have $2.50 Yuenglings. Flyer (links to facebook event):
I heard about this show last friday, but couldn’t really mention it until the official word came from Mercy Lounge/Cannery. Chromeo and Holy Ghost! will be playing at the Cannery on August 26th! This is the kind of lineup that 5 years ago would’ve never been possible in Nashville, but now it’s happening, and you should be very excited because this is one of the best matchups ever to come through town. I must be totally honest- I’ve always been rather lukewarm about Chromeo, but I can rock some Holy Ghost! any day. After seeing LCD Soundsystem at Bonnaroo this year and then seeing Holy Ghost!, my DFA void will be filled.
On a different note, it looks like local math-punks The Ocelots have been busy in the studio, as they’ve got a new EP on their bandcamp. This material is a much-needed break from their past. These songs have more of a melodic direction than their older ones while still keeping the jagged, bouncy, math-rock format intact. In fact, one of the songs actually stuck in my head for a minute… something that would’ve never happened before. It’s name-your-price… but I suggest making a donation…
steve cross loves music and science 